


Pearl Knew Better

by Icypearls



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-14
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-24 06:06:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9706400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Icypearls/pseuds/Icypearls
Summary: Pearl knows not to let her emotions show.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [softasawhisper](https://archiveofourown.org/users/softasawhisper/gifts).



Pearl knew better than to let her emotions show. She knew that her wide eyes, every second her mouth hung open, her blatant staring, everything about her at that moment could be cause for a reprimand. Or worse. She just couldn’t help herself. The way she felt vibrations in her very core, the way she would involuntarily draw in an unneed breath, how everything ceased to exist for just that second…

“Pearl, what are you doing? I said dance,” Pink Diamond commanded. Pearl straightened her shoulders, eyes wide for a different reason, before she fell into a graceful, slow twirl. Pink Diamond was not one to repeat commands. Still, even as she twirled, weaving her body and arms in a graceful show, she would catch a glimpse, and her core would thrum. 

Pink ringlets. Soft curves. A soft voice. Serious eyes. A gentle smile. Pearl was careful not to look to long. It wasn’t proper for a pearl to presume to stare at such perfection as a diamond, and even Pearl knew this gem was even more perfect than even White Diamond. 

“She is very good,” the Rose Quartz said. 

Pink Diamond hummed. “Yes, she is.” Pearl turned, changing her dance slightly so she could see her more. Pink Diamond was already turning away, but the Quartz hesitated, her eyes lingering on Pearl. Their eyes met, and Pearl felt more than saw the flicker of amusement. She wanted to impress her, more than she had ever wanted to do anything for her Diamond. She tried to do a complicated maneuver, but she was so entranced that she forgot the ledge of the platform, dropping to the floor.

She froze, her eyes squeezed shut, every part of her tense, and then she heard footsteps coming toward her. She reflexively curled inward, but the only thing that came were words. Soft, gentle words, words that sounded more beautiful than any song she had every heard. “Oh my, are you okay?”

Pearl looked up, realizing it was only her and the Rose Quartz in the room. The Quartz was concerned, bent down and looking at her. Pearl could do little more than nod, slowly standing up. She flinched when the other gem reached down to offer her hand, but realized she was just trying to help her up. She slowly put her hand in the Quartz, reveling in the touch, in the softness, in the size, in everything. She was helped to her feet, left in closer proximity to the Quartz than she had ever dreamed possible. 

Footsteps pulled Pearl out of the moment, and she began dancing again, just as Pink Diamond rounded the corner. “Rose Quartz, what are you doing?” Pearl’s jaw tightened at the sever look on the Diamond’s face. That did not bode well. 

“She’s the best dancer I’ve ever seen,” the Quartz said, pulling her eyes away from Pearl. “I’m sorry.” She turned and followed Pink Diamond out of the chamber. Pearl continued dancing, as she knew she should until she was asked to stop. 

Thoughts of that Quartz filled her mind, changing the slow, graceful dance into something with more life, more passion. She took a leap, a twirl, hastened the pace. She watched as the Rose Quartz, always that same one, with her gem in on her stomach, came in time and time again to talk to Pink Diamond. Updates on the humans in the zoo, what they needed. And today, today they left, not even bringing Pearl with them as Pink Diamond normally did. 

The Quartz had touched her. She had talked to her. More life filled her dance as she sprung from place to place, unable to contain her glee. That Quartz had spoken directly to her, ask about her, gave her something other than an order. 

The dance slowed, Pearl no longer leaping. Her fevered twirls turned into slow twists, contorting her body as she realized the Quartz probably thought nothing of it. She was studying Pearl, no doubt for when she was given a pearl of her own. Her smile vanished, and by the time Pink Diamond and Rose Quartz returned, her dance was nothing more than jerky arm movements as she twirled in a circle. 

The Quartz kept coming, but now she would watch Pearl more closely. She always spoke to Pearl. Then came the day she asked Pink Diamond the question that terrified Pearl.

“What does it take to get her?” 

Pearl was standing quietly to the side today. She hadn’t been asked to dance or to do anything. She was a shadow, or so she thought, unnoticeable by any gem who had no need of a pearl. Pink Diamond barely spared her a glance. “You want a pearl? What would you do with one at the zoo?”

Rose Quartz shook her head. “I don’t want a pearl. I want her.”

Pearl looked, wide-eyed, from Rose Quartz to Pink Diamond. “You want my personal pearl? Whatever for?”

Rose Quartz swallowed. “She’s lovely.”

“You are bold, asking such a boon.” Pink Diamond stood, towering over Rose Quartz. “I will see to it that you receive a pearl. Mine, however, you cannot have.” 

Rose Quartz met Pearl’s confused gaze, looking sadder that Pearl could ever remember her being. “I’m sorry, my Diamond.” She saluted. 

“Nothing further,” Pink Diamond said, clapping her hands twice.  
\--  
Pearl looked around, mouth squeezed shut in case she should want to vocalize something. She had already been reprimanded once for doing so, before her Diamond had ordered her to stay while she met with the others.

Earth was a beautiful planet, even if it would look completely different within a few hundred years. She watched as gems roamed about, doing their best to find the group of rebels. It was difficult to find someone when you didn’t know who the enemy was, but Pearl was confident in their ability.

Suddenly, she was blinded, hands over her mouth and eyes, and she was being whisked away. She was only being carried by one person, but that didn’t alarm her. She was more concerned with what her Diamond would do when she returned to find that Pearl wasn’t at her post. It took more time than Pearl had anticipated, but eventually she was sat down. 

Gems were all around her, and there were humans present. They all stared down at her, so she scrambled back, looking fearfully at them all. Then she saw her.

The Rose Quartz. 

She was moving through the crowd, and she bent down in front of her. “Pearl,” she said, reaching her hand out. “You’re here.” She sounded shocked, almost like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Her hand contacted with Pearl’s cheek, soft, and Pearl leaned into it. “Oh, I’m so sorry it took so long. I wanted to free you so long ago.”

“Free me?” Pearl asked. She clapped her hands over her mouth. No one had asked her to speak. 

Rose Quartz nodded. “Yes. Free you. You can join us, fight for the Earth. Fight for what we all believe in.”

Pearl looked up, into Rose Quartz’s eyes. “I believe in you,” she said. The words were slow. She was testing how it felt to speak when not asked. 

Rose giggled. “That’s a start. Can you fight?” Pearl shook her head. “Can you summon your weapon?” Again, Pearl shook her head. Rose nodded. “We’ll teach you.” 

And so Pearl learned. She danced while she fought, it was all she really knew. She pushed and fought, and soon was able to take down even the Jaspers and Amethysts. 

Rose was so gentle with her. One day, they were sitting out, alone, looking out at the stars, and Rose touched her hand. Pearl looked at her, a grin on her face. “I tried to get you, long ago. Do you remember?”

Pearl remembered. She had played the scene over and over and over again when alone. Rose asking for her, specifically. Then she had stolen her away. “Yes,” Pearl said. “You wanted me as your pearl. And now you have me.”

Rose frowned. “No, no that isn’t it at all. Pearl, I wanted to save you. This has been working for quite a while, under the Diamond’s noses. Soon it will be time to fully reveal ourselves. I want…I want to know that you want this. You, not from any directive or thought that you have to.” Rose squeezed her hand. “You’re free. You belong to no one. You answer only to yourself.”

Pearl sat for a moment before nodding. “We’ve had similar discussions.” She tightened her hold on Rose’s hand. “If I’m not yours then why do we do this?”

Suddenly Rose’s hand was gone. “Do you not want this?”

“I do!” Pearl said, hand reaching out to find Rose’s again. “I do. I want…” Her thoughts drifted to one of the human words. “I love you.”

Rose giggled, pulling Pearl closer to her. “And I love you.”

They built a reputation, even among the rebels. Soon everyone knew that Pearl and Rose would not be found far from each other, and more than that, they worked as a synchronized team. Just the thought of seeing one without the other was laughable. New comers would occasionally make the mistake of assuming Pearl was the pearl, but if Rose Quartz caught wind of their actions, it never happened again. 

Pearl knew better than to hide her emotions, so she shared them all with Rose.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a gift for the wonderful LadyKatieKay who has been an outstanding friend to me in the month that we've known each other. Thanks so much for everything you've done, and I hope one day I'll be able to be there when you need me.


End file.
